Thomas white ratsey



T. W. RATSEY. SAIL 11 l 110.517,193. Patented 1111.211894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS WHITE RATSEY, OF OOWES, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO EDWIN LAPTHORN, GEORGE ROGERS RATSEY, AND EDWIN WALTER LAPTHORN,

OF GOSPORT, ENGLAND.

SAIL FOR VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,193, dated March 27,1894.

Application filed March 20, 1893. Serial No. 466.856. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, THOMAS WHITE RA'rsEY, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Cowes, Isle of Wight, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sails, of which the following is a specification.

One of the principal objections to sails as heretofore made has been directly due to their stretching out of shape and becoming too large for their spare. At one time, in order to allow for stretching, the spars were made larger than the edges of the sail, but as is now the usual practice, the sail must cover the spars from end to end, without any allowance whatever being made for stretching. It is, therefore, necessary to have a sail which will lit spars from the start, and stand as well after long continued use as at first, in order to obviate the necessity of continually stretching the sails to get them back into shape. It is well known that the greatest stretching takes placein the direction of the warp lengthwise of the cloth, while there is little-if anystretching in the direction of the weft; and conversely, the shrinkage in the direction of the weft is also much less than in the direction of the warp. In the ordinary diagonal sails the cloths or warp run with the leech and foot, but in my improved form of sail, I arrange the cloths or warp at right angles to both the leech and foot, and at the beginning make each sail the full length of its respective spar; and my invention consists in the features and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view representing the various sails of a boat in side elevation; and Figs. 2 and 3 show different ways of attaching the topsail.

In making my improved sail, I take two or more pieces A and A', of any fabric used or which Inay be used for sails, and join them by sewing or otherwise, in such manner that the warp stands at right angles to the leech O and foot C of the sails. This forms a sail having a diagonal seam, the warp of the piece A arranged to run at right angles to the leech O, while the warp of the piece A stands at .right angles to the foot C. By these means the fabric is prevented from stretching, inasmuch as the weft runs parallel with the leech and foot. As there is practically no stretch in the weft of any sail cloth, it follows that these sails cannot stretch, as other diagonal sails which have the Warp (which stretches very much) parallelto the leech and foot. Furthermore, owing to the non-shrinkage of the weft of any sail cloth, it is obvious that the improved diagonal sails cannot shrink on the leech or foot. On this account, the sails may be made to the full length of their respective spars, and do not require stretching to get them back into shape to fit the spars. The many advantages hereinbefore recited will be readily apparent to any one skilled in the art of sail making, or having any knowledge of the use of sails.

The invention is applicable for mainsails, lugsails, trysails, jibs of all descriptions, foresails, staysails, mizzens, and topsails of all descriptions, and as mentioned before, the sails in each instance can be made at the start to the full size of the spars.

I claim- 1. As a new article of manufacture, a sail made in several portions, the warp of the fabric of some of such portions standing perpendicular to the leech, and the warp of the other portions standing perpendicular to the foot, substantially as described;

2. As a new article of manufacture, a sail made in two portions, the warp of the fabric of one portion standing perpendicular to the leech and the Warp of the fabric of the other portion standing perpendicular to the foot whereby stretching of the sail is prevented, substantially as described.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a sail constructed in two portions and having a diagonal seam, the warp of the fabric of one portion standing perpendicular to the leech, and the warp of the fabric of the other portion standing perpendicular to the foot, whereby stretching of the sail is prevented, substantially as described.

February 7, 1893.

THOMAS WHITE RATSEY.

Witnesses:

ERNEST MORRIS, Cowes, Isle of Wight, Clerk lo Messrs. Ralsey c@ Lapthorn.

WM. JOHN BAILEY, Newport, Isle of Wight, Lcmcl Agent. 

